Thanks Nim, spsq, & nicodvb, for checking out this bread, and nice comments. Happy you like this sandwich bread. I bake this and the Buttermilk bread, from Laurel's Kitchen Bread Book, the most often. It always comes out light and high, the height in varying degrees. I'll do my best to give you a sense for the recipe.

SPONGE INGREDIENTS

1 tsp. active dry yeast (3.5 g) 1/4 cup warm water (60ml)

3 cups whole wheat bread flour (450 g )

2 teaspoons salt (11 grams)

3 tablespoons honey* (45ml)

2/3 cup yogurt (160 ml)

1/3 cup cold water (80ml)

* for highest bread use pasteurized honey as opposed to raw, esp. for long fermentation times.

Dislove the yeast in warm water. Mix the flour and salt in a bowl; add the honey, yogurt and coldwater, and dissolved yeast, making a stiff dough. Knead about 5 min. cover tightly, and set aside in a cool place for six to ten hours. (my bread went 9 and 1/2 hours at 60 degrees, possibly cooler thru the night. I was expecting a low of 50 degrees.)

Dough Ingredients

1 teaspoon active dry yeast

1 1/2 cups warm water (350ml)

the sponge from above

1/4 cup oil

3 cups whole wheat flour (450g)

Dissolve yeast in warm water. Soften the sponge with the liquids and work in the rest of the flour measure, adjusting the consistency as required. Knead until silky about 15 min. (I forgot to hold back some of the water, and had to add flour instead of the way I prefered.) Place the ball shaped dough in a bowl, and check after one hour, (things move along a bit faster because of the sponge) if the finger poke doesent fill in at all, or dough sighs, it is ready for the 2nd rise. After pressing flat, and reforming into smooth ball, the second rise is ready in about half the time as the first, (again you need to decide how it feels.) After the second rise , press flat, divide in two , pre shape and let relax, for a few min. Shape and form into loaves, place in greased 8"x 4" pans, and let rise in warm draft free place . (mine went about 35 min. at 80 degrees, I moistened the loaves by spraying lightly w/warm water, then sprayed them again just before loading into oven. All three rises were at about 80 F.) You can score loaves if you feel the dough is not to wobbly. (my notes) Bake at 350 F, for 45 min. to an hour.

Good luck and send pictures along when you try this. In Laurel's book there is a straight dough recipe for yogurt bread , under the chapter, A Loaf For Learning. As basic as it is I still refer to it from time to time. It is a nice refresher. Ray

Hi Khalid, happy you chanced to see this bread. Thanks for your praise, I am flattered. I have not baked the golden date bread, and didn't have success with the oatmeal. I think I am better prepared for another try, but couldn't bring myself to post smallish oatmeal bread. It wasn't dense, just not what I expected. When I began to get the hydration right, I erred with a little too much water, and that changed everything. I will try again. I do believe the middle rise, in Laurel's recipes is key to good whole wheat bread. I think you'lll like the yogurt bread, the sponge moves the schedule right along. Thanks again, and nice hearing from you. Ray

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